Union City Radio

Nearly 40,000 Verizon workers who have been on strike since April 13 celebrated big gains after coming to an agreement in principle with the company last Friday. After 44 days of the largest strike in recent history, striking CWA and IBEW members said they have achieved their major goals of improving working families’ standard of living, creating good union jobs and achieving a first contract for wireless retail store workers. "It's a great day in the labor movement," said CWA 2336 president Terry Richardson. "It was the overwhelming support of everyone in the entire movement that really carried us through this epic struggle." U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez called the tentative resolution "a testament to the power of collective bargaining."

For the latest local labor calendar, for to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

Here’s today’s labor history:On this date in 1888, the Ladies Federal Labor Union Number 2703, based in Illinois, was granted a charter from the American Federation of Labor. Women from a wide range of occupations were among the members, who ultimately were successful in coalescing women’s groups interested in suffrage, temperance, health, housing and child labor reform to win state legislation in these areas.

In 1944, extinguishing the light of hope in the hearts and aspirations of workers around the world, the Mexican government abolished siestas—a mid-afternoon nap and work break which lengthened the work day but got people through brutally hot summer days.

In 1966, farm workers under the banner of the new United Farm Workers Organizing Committee struck at Texas’s La Casita Farms, demanding $1.25 as a minimum hourly wage.

Today’s labor quote is by Cesar Chavez“I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally non-violent struggle for justice.”

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About uc radio

UC Radio airs weekdays at 7:15a on WPFW 89.3 FMYour Rights at Work airs Thursdays from 1-2pNEW! Subscribe to the Your Rights at Work podcast on iTunes! And get the Union City Radio podcast on Soundcloud.

UC Radio is a brief audio version of the award-winning Union City electronic newsletter, featuring DC-area labor news, updates, calendar and labor history with Union City Managing Editor Chris Garlock. UC Radio is a partnership between the Metro Washington Council and 89.3 FM WPFW. Today in Labor History is provided by Union Communication Services; Rockin’ Solidarity is performed by Joe Uehlein and the Bones of Contention; Union City Radio engineering by David Kelly.

Your Rights at Work is a call-in show about worker rights hosted by Chris Garlock, co-hosted by DCNA Executive Director Ed Smith. Produced by Peter Pocock.